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NYC Bar elects Matthew Diller as new president

The New York City Bar Association elected a new president on May 19 during its annual meeting.

Matthew Diller, a renowned legal educator for more than three decades, will succeed Muhammad U. Faridi as head of the organization championing the legal profession in New York and promoting the rule of law. Faridi had been president of the bar since 2024.

Diller was most recently the dean of Fordham Law School in the Bronx, a post he held between 2015 and 2024; prior to that, he served in the same post at the Benjamin Cardozo School of Law. Since retiring as Fordham Law dean in 2024, he has continued as dean emeritus and law professor, and is also senior co-counsel of the John D. Feerick Center for Social Justice.

It is the first time the Law Association has elected a dean or professor to serve as its leader since Feerick held the post in the early 1990s while serving as Fordham Law dean.

“The City Bar’s members have always been at the forefront of the great challenges facing our legal system and our democracy, and this moment is no different,” said Mr. Diller. “As president, I look forward to building on the City Bar’s extraordinary work in advancing the rule of law, expanding access to justice, and helping our profession navigate the opportunities and risks of artificial intelligence.”

During the NYCBA’s annual meeting, members also elected three vice presidents: Patrick T. Campbell of Baker & Hostetler LLP; Paula T. Edgar of PGE Consulting Group LLC; and Hon. Andrea Masley, New York State Supreme Court, Commercial Division. They will serve one-year terms in the bar posts.

Also elected at the meeting were Ana Alfonso, of O’Melveny & Myers LLP, as association treasurer, and Michael Fernández, of Cozen O’Connor LLP, as association secretary.

Gary M. Kaufman, of the Law Office of Gary Kaufman, PLLC, will serve as board chair; Richard Hong, of Dentons, will serve as board secretary.

Elected to seats on the board of directors were Danielle C. Lesser, Morrison Cohen LLP; Glenn Metsch-Ampel, Lawyers For Children Inc.; Michael P. Regan, Meister Seelig & Fein, PLLC; Tracey Salmon-Smith, Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP; Jessenia Vazcones-Yagual, Sompo International; Kaylin Whittingham, Whittingham Law; and Christopher Wilds, Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP.

NYU Law dean McKenzie steps down from post
NYU Law Dean Troy McKenzie is stepping down from his post in 2027. NYU Law Dean Troy McKenzie is stepping down from his post in 2027.NYU Law Professor Troy McKenzie. © Hollenshead: Courtesy of NYU Photo Bureau

Troy McKenzie announced earlier this month that he will step down in 2027 as dean of the New York University Law School, a post he has held since 2022.

McKenzie said in an open letter to the NYU Law community that he felt the right time had come to pass the torch amid an ongoing era of change. 

“When I think about what we have built and sustained together, especially through a period that tested every institution in this country, I am proud and grateful,” McKenzie wrote. “NYU Law is in an exceptionally strong position. Perhaps good manners would counsel against saying that so boldly, but it is the reason I feel good about this moment.”

NYU Law credited McKenzie for enhancing the school’s faculty with new hires, boosted student recruitment, and transformed the school’s role in the community in the years after the COVID-19 pandemic. During the 2025-26 admission cycle, the school said, it saw a record number of applications — reflecting, it said, not only the school’s strength and reputation, but also the dean’s leadership.

McKenzie himself is an alumnus of the NYU School of Law, having graduated in 2000. 

Lee & Associates negotiates new Wall Street lease for Jones Jones LLC
Jones Jones LLC inked a 10-year, nine-month lease for more than 5,300 square feet of space on the 7th floor of 44 Wall St. It had previously been based out of 5 Hanover Square.

Lee & Associates said it has delivered for Jones Jones LLC in helping the firm acquire a new 10-year lease for office space on Wall Street in the heart of Manhattan’s Financial District.

Jones Jones LLC inked a 10-year, nine-month lease for more than 5,300 square feet of space on the 7th floor of 44 Wall St. It had previously been based out of 5 Hanover Square.

According to Lee & Associates, the firm selected 44 Wall St. to maintain a Lower Manhattan presence in a neighborhood with prime access to public transit, dining and retail amenities.

“Lower Manhattan continues to attract tenants seeking quality office space at a strong value, particularly as older office properties throughout the neighborhood undergo residential conversions,” said Todd Korren of Lee & Associates.  “Jones Jones was focused on remaining in the Financial District, and 44 Wall Street offered an ideal combination of location, accessibility and efficiency for the firm’s next chapter.”

“We wanted to remain in the Financial District because it continues to provide tremendous convenience for our employees and clients alike,” said Matthew Jones, Executive Partner of Jones Jones LLC.  

Jones Jones LLC is expected to move into its space in June 2026. 

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